Serge Le Huitouze asks about Anna's Hummingbirds in BC/Washington. To add to
notes posted by Dennis, ANHU is a recent arrival to BC (late 40s-early 50s,
as I recall), as documented in Campbell et al (Birds of British Columbia).
Among the first fully documented nests in BC were two found in my yard in Oak
Bay (Victoria). The first, in a flowering plum in the front yard, contained
2 eggs when found on Leap Day, Feb. 29, 1988 --- incredibly early, but they
nest as early as late December in California. Twelve days later the female
was seen "cleaning" the nest, with the eggs on the ground - one broken. By
her behaviour, I suspect that she ejected them, but it could have been some
other small bird. She had been agitated by Purple Finches in the tree.

That same day, March 12, I was astonished to find a second nest, by a
recognizably different female (I had two females visiting my feeder), in a
Sequoia in my back yard. It, too, contained two eggs, both of which
subsequently fledged. Neither female attempted to reuse her first nest.

I've had 2 males and at least 2 females at my feeder through most of this
fall and early winter. One male remains on territory now and was dive-
displaying to a female as early as the second week in Jan. I'm still looking
for a nest. Now is the time to look.

On these cold days, I mix a stronger sugar solution to lower the freezing
point slightly (to 2/3 cup sugar, fill to make 1 cup solution), and mount a
light bulb under the feeder. Take the feeder in at night, but get it back
out by first light...they start early!

Bryan Gates, Victoria
bgates at assessment.env.gov.bc.ca